One Nation Under Dog Preview: HBO Documentary Focuses On Dogs In America

Summer is a good time of year for documentary lovers with an HBO subscription. Once again, the pay-cable network is airing documentaries each week, and this Monday, One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss & Betrayal will make its debut, offering an eye-opening look at the relationships between dogs and humans in American culture.

Dogs bring a lot to our lives. At present, I'm more of a cat person, but I understand the connection a person can have with a canine, and I've experienced the heartbreak of losing a beloved dog after years of love and loyalty. So I can see how the topic could be explored from a number of angles in a documentary. Set to premiere this Monday, One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss & Betrayal explores the topic of canines in America, from people who love their dogs, to those who fear them due to a bite incident, and the subject of overpopulation and shelters. Check out the trailer below.

The "Betrayal" focus of the documentary sounds like it'll be the hardest to watch, but probably the most important when it comes to revealing what sounds like a pretty major issue involving dogs in this country. From what HBO's release says, the segment features three minutes of "graphic footage" taken by a film student that shows dogs and puppies being euthanized.

Many people do not know that 25% of dogs in shelters are actually purebreds, and many pet store dogs come from mass breeding operations known as puppy mills. For many dogs from mills and animal shelters, rescue is the only hope of survival. This segment follows volunteers saving some 200 puppy mill dogs from these dire conditions, including rescuer-trainer John Gagnon, who rehabilitates aggressive, difficult-to-adopt dogs and works with an organization to find them good homes, and Shawn South-Aswad, who raises money to rescue dogs and place them with foster families.

As sad as it sounds, it also seems like something people should be aware of, especially if they're considering getting a dog anytime soon.

One Nation Under Dog premieres Monday, June 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.